While the Clyde Flier football team is making headlines with their tournament run, the wrestling team is waiting on its state qualifiers.

During the 2005-2006 season, the Flier wrestling team suffered a bit from the success from the football team.

That year, the wrestling team had no choice but to wait on wrestlers like Matt Guhn, Thomas and Eric Schwartz, and others.

This season, last year's state qualifiers Aric Thurn, Jacob Andrews, and Danny Michaels are all a part of the football team.

“Honestly, it really makes a difference,” said Clyde coach Matt Merrill, whose first year at the Fliers’ helm was that 2005-06 season. “With the new body fat testing, the long football season has an effect on what weight class a kid can wrestle.”

Three state qualifiers along with five other starters from last year, combined with the rest of the team not on the football team make up a pretty good group for 2007-2008.

“Last year we were really green in the lightweights,” Merrill said. “We had to throw a lot of freshmen into positions that they may not have been completely ready for.”

The Fliers finished third behind Sandusky Perkins and Oak Harbor in the Sandusky Bay Conference and tied with Rossford at 23rd at state.

Amongst those freshmen, now sophomore, lightweights is Zach Rawson, who at 103 last year took the typical freshman lumps.

“I had to realize that, as a freshman, I couldn't win them all last season,” he said. “But I feel very confident about this year.”

Rawson drew state qualifier Drew Stone of Oak Harbor in the first round of the Division II sectional tournament and failed to make it to districts.

“This year, I think I am going to place at the State tournament,” Rawson said. “I really feel confident about that.”

Rawson's confidence is consistent with the confidence given off by the rest of the team and coaches.

“It's never easy as a freshman to go out there and wrestle 18-year olds,” Merrill said. “The most important thing to do is to keep their heads up.”

In wrestling, experience is everything.

“Now, as sophomores, they are going to be the ones beating up on others,” Merrill said. “I'm expecting good things from them.”

While he is expecting “good” from the youth of the team, the expectations are even higher for the wrestlers who visited Columbus last year.

“I'm not trying to put too much pressure on those guys,” he said. “But I am expecting some great things this season.”

Danny Michaels finished third in the state last season, edging Springfield Northwestern's Jeb Pencil 11-7 in the consolation finals.

Michaels’ only loss at the tournament was to eventual champion Coby Boyd of St. Paris Graham in an 18-14 decision.

Boyd either pinned or tech-falled all of his other opponents.

Jacob Andrews, at 215, went 0-2 in his first stint at that state tournament but he lost each match by a single point at 3-2 and 5-4 respectively.

Aric Thurn faired a little bit better at 160, finishing one match shy of placing in the top eight.

This season, the goals remain untouched.

“We haven't really gotten to the point where we have discussed specific goals,” Merrill said. “But we always shoot for SBC championship and top 10 at state. That's always a goal, no matter what.”

Before the Fliers get to that point, they will have a tournament-heavy schedule with duals with Elmwood, Maumee, Fostoria, Western Reserve, Tiffin Columbian, and rival Bellevue mixed in.

“I think that we are going to have a great season this year as a team,” Rawson said. “I really think that we are going to get a lot of kids to state.”